Shoe machine frame



y 1944- c. L. KNOTT 2,347,782

SHOE MACHINE FRAME Original Filed March 8, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet l y 1944- c. 1.. KNOTT 2,347,782

SHOE MACHINE FRAME Original Filed March 8, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 y 1944- c. L. KNOTT SHOE MACHINE FRAME Original Filed March 8, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented May 2, 1944 SHOE MACHINE FRAME Clyde L. Knott, Beverly, Mam, assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemlngton, N. 1., a corporation of New Jersey Original application March 8, 1938, Serial No.

1941, Serial No. 404,681

18 Claims. (Cl. 112258) The present invention relates to supporting frames for heavily constructed machines and more particularly to frames of machine of the type employed for high speed shoe sewing having arrangements for'helghtwise and other adjustments. A high speed shoe sewing machine of the McKay type embodying the features of the present invention is illustrated and described in the present inventor co-pending application for U. S. Letters Patent Serial No. 194,594, filed March 8, 1938, for Driving and stopping mechanisms, of which the present application is a division.

In sewing machines of a class including the McKay type, complicated driving and stopping mechanisms are essential in order to vary the rate of operation from high to low speed and to bring the machine accurately to rest in final stopping position. In order to obtain suitable heightwise adjustment in a previous shoe sewing machine of another similar type, a relatively long supporting column has been employed provided at its upper end with a circular socket for receiving a tubular shank connected to the frame of the sewing mechanism. Where complicated driving and stopping mechanisms are not employed, the driving mechanism may be located at the base of the supporting column and the stopping mechanism on the machine frame. With the use of a driving and stopping mechanism, as disclosed in the copending application, there is insufficient space available in the frame of the sewing machine without unduly enlarging the frame laterally and the operating mechanisms in the frame extend so far below the frame that no space is available for the usual circular socket and tubular shank adjusting arrangement. If an attempt were made to locate the socket and shank adjusting arrangement beneath the driving and stopping mechanisms, the weight and height above the socket of the added parts would cause an unbalance, so that heightwise adjustment would become diflicult, if not impossible, due to excessive frictional engagement between the socket and shank portions. The use of a rotatable wcrk supporting horn in a McKay type sewing machine adds a further diiiiculty to the heightwise adjustment problem for the same reasons, so that no such adjustment has been provided heretofore in this particular type of shoe sewing machine.

The objects of the present invention are to provide a novel and improved frame arrangement for a heavily constructed, high speed shoe sewing machine, particularly of the McKay type Divided and this application July 30,

having relatively complicated driving and stopping mechanisms, without rendering the construction expensive to manufacture or susceptible to the difficulties noted above, while at the same time facilitating certain adjustments in the machine including that of the machine as a whole in a heightwise direction.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the frame construction in a McKay type shoe sewing machine having a rotatable shoe supporting horn mounted on an integral portion of the frame and adjustable as a unit relatively to the main base of the machine without obstructing access to the horn mounting and other supporting or actuating mechanisms.

With these and other objects in view, an important feature of the present invention relates to the provision in a machine of the class referred to of a generally rectangular main sewing frame having operating device therein, and a similarly shaped b se, of guide plates having opposed surfaces between which the frame is mounted in suitably spaced relation above the case. According to this feature, the frame is arranged to slide vertically along the guide plates to adjust the height of the operating devices of the machine. By such a construction, with the sides of the main frame covered by the guide plates, a balance in weight of the frame is obtainable with the center of weight properly located with respect to the surfaces of supporting contact on the side guide plates to eliminate excessive friction between the frame and guide plates when adjusting the height of the machine, the uncovered sides of the frame remaining exposed for convenient access and for assembly and adjusting purposes. Furthermore, the construction and manufacture is simplified so that all of the parts may be cast easily according to convenient foundry practices without complicated core pieces and may be finished without requiring difficult machining operations. As herein illustrated, the main frame and also the base of the machine carry means inside the machine for clamping the guide plates, thus eliminating external irregularities and unsightly appearances. Preferably, the clamping means is in the form of bolts accessible through the uncovered sides of the frame and base.

In a machine of this class, a main drive shaft and a main motor or pulley driving unit is usually mounted on the base. Inthe construction hereinafter described, a main driving unit is mounted on a suitable support and a vertical guideway is provided at the rear side of the base by means of which the position of the support may be adjusted to render possible regulation of tension in a driving belt between the driving unit and the main drive shaft. The rotatable horn supporting and operating mechanisms, in 9. Mc- Kay type sewing machine maybe arranged to project from between the side plate; so that they are readily accessible for assembly and adjusting purposes. Preferably, also, the main driving means has a plurality of selectively actuated different speed driving mechanisms and suitable clutches mounted on a bracket removable from the frame and arranged when removed to hold the driving mechanisms and clutches in operative relationship so as to permit satisfactory adjustment before again mounting the driving means on the frame. The bracket, a hereinafter described, is so mounted on the frame as to be adjustable towards and from the operating devices to maintain a driving belt connecting the driving means and operating devices under proper tension.

Although the height of the machine frame described hereinafter is adjustable to suit the operators convenience, certain features of the invention embodied in the illustrated machine are useful where no height adjustment is provided, in the frame, particularly those features relating to simplified and inexpensive construction as a result of the use of parts cast by convenient foundry practices. By the construction herein disclosed, all of the integral parts of the frame may be cast with the use of convenient forms of so-called "draw mold," the lines of division between the parts rendering the assembled frame rigid without the use of an excessive number of fastenings.

Other features of the invention relate to certain novel and improved constructions and arrangements of parts as hereinafter described in the following detailed specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a view in right side elevation of a high speed shoe sewing machine having a height adjustable frame embodying the features of the present invention; Fig. 2 is a sec= tional view of a portion of the machine illustrated in Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale, looking from the left, including the driving and stopping mechanism; Fig. 3 is a view in side elevation of the main driving means for the machine showing its method of mounting on the frame; Fig, 4. is a horizontal sectional view of the frame and base -of the machine, taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. l; and Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view of the frame and base, taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4. g

The machine herein disclosed as embodying the features of the present invention is a heavily constructed McKay type shoe sewing machine having a sewing head 2 which is mounted on the upper end of a frame 4 having a lower hollow portion of generally rectangular horizontal section connected to a hollow main base 8 of similar shape. The machine is driven by means of an electric motor 8 carried at the rear of the base 6 through vertical belt connections including a belt it! which passes around a pulley l2 directly con nected to the motor and around a pulley l4 fast to an intermediate shaft l6 for the main driving means of the machine. The main driving means is connected by pulleys I8 and 20 on the shaft l6 about which are belts 22 and 24 extending to pulleys 2G and 28, respectively, fastened to an operating shaft 38 in the head 2. The devices operated by the shaft 38 comprise the sewing instrumentalities of the machine including a straight hook needle 32, and a looper for thread- 5 ing the needle contained within a rotatable shoe supporting horn 34 mounted on a forwardly projecting portion 35 of the main frame 4 of the machine. The main driving means of the machine acts to connect the continuously running 10 motor with the operating shaft 30 upon depression of a control treadle 38 mounted to project from the forward face of the base 6 of the machine, and upon release of the treadle, a low speed driving and braking mechanism is thrown into operation to act first as a brake in reducing the speed of the sewing shaft 30 and then to drive the sewing shaft until a predetermined position of the shaft is reached. The main driving means comprises the pulley l4, shaft i6 and clutches formed by the pulleys i8 and 20, respectively,

which are rotatable on the shaft I6 and a central clutch disk 38 secured to the shaft is and disposed between the pulleys I8 and 20. The pulleys l8 and 20, 28 and 28 are formed with different 5 diameters so that the belts 22 and 24 will cause the operating shaft to which the pulleys 26 and 28 are secured to rotate at different speeds when one clutch or the other is closed, the driving means being so arranged when the central disk 0- is in engagement with the pulley 20 that the operating shaft will be driven at high speed and when the central clutch disk 38 is in engagement with the pulley 08, the operating shaft will be driven at a lower intermediate driving speed.

as The operation of the main driving means is the same as in inventors co-pending application above identified, to which reference may be had for a more complete disclosure.

The braking and stopping mechanism is mount- 40 ed on the operating shaft 38 and is similar in many respects to that employed in the machines disclosed in the U. 5. Letters Patent to Topham No. 1,099,328, of June 9, 1914, and to Meyer No. 1,298,758, of April 1, 1919, which have a low speed it worm wheel and clutch similar to that indicated so the bell crank stationary and cause the speed of the operating shaft 30 to be substantially reduced and the shaft eventually brought to rest with the needle disengaged from the work and the other parts in the desired stopping positions. This braking mechanism is controlled by the treadle 38 in a manner more clearly described in the above-identified patents and application. The treadle controlled connections include an adjustable vertical link 46 connected to the foot treadle g0 and to a three-armed lever 48 fulcrumed in the machine frame. One arm of the three-armed lever 48 is connected to a horizontal rod 50, the other end of which is pivoted to a forked shifting lever 52 shown in Fig. 2. The forked lever 52 is 5 connected to a collar 54 surrounding the forward end of the intermediate shaft I6. When the treadle is depressed, the lever 52 acts through the collar 54 on the intermediate'shaft to move the shaft lengthwise in its bearing, thus forcing the clutch disk 38 which is secured to the shaft against the pulley Hi to start the machine. Upon depressing the treadle further, the machine is driven through the action of a. power operated selecting mechanism at a higher speed, which mechanism forces the clutch disk against the pulley 20, To

withdraw the-lock bolt 44, a rod 08 is connected at one end to the lock bolt and at the other end to one arm of a right angle lever 88 fulcrumed on the machine frame. A vertical downwardly extending arm of the lever carries a roll 80 against which a cam surface at the end of a sliding cam block 62 acts, the block being connected through a rod 54 to a horizontal arm of the lever 48.

The power actuated mechanism comprises a horizontal rotary shaft 86 for selecting by its angular position the speed at which the operating shaft is rotated. The shaft 88 is provided with a crank portion (not shown) surrounding which is a pitman 68 connected at its rearward end between the uppermost arms of a pair of similar levers I provided with rolls I! to engage the pulley l4 and cause the intermediate shaft It to be shifted first in one direction and then in the other. When the shaft I8 is shifted in one di-- rection, the clutch disk 38 is freed from the lower speed driving pulley I8 and engages the high speed pulley 20. When shifted in the other direction by the selector shaft, the rolls 12 are held away from the pulley I4 and the intermediate shaft I6 is permitted to assume a position with the disk 38 either in or out or contact with the intermediate speed pulley I8, depending upon the position of the treadle 30. The rotation of the selecting shaft 66 and the operation of the machine in general, as

thus far described, is the same as in the prior application.

The machine of the present invention is provided with means for rendering its assembly during manufacture and its adjustment during subsequent use more convenient for operators than previous McKay type machines. The machine frame is arranged to be raised or lowered by regulating a jack screw I4 (see Figs. 4 and 5). The jack screw is threaded to a nut I6 secured in the main frame 4 of the machine and engages with its lower end a-horizontal portion of the base 6. In order to guide the vertical movement of the frame with a minimum of effort on the jack screw, there are secured to opposite sides of the base 6, similar reversely disposed guide plates I8 shaped in the form of open imperforate shells having vertical guideways and edge surfaces of one plate opposed to those of another, between which plates the frame slides. The side guide plates are adjustably secured to the opposite sides of the frame and base with the openings in the shells facing each other in such relation as to cover substantially the opposite sides of the frame and base. To secure the side guide plates to the base, the plates are threaded to receive bolts 8I passing through alined openings in the base, the heads of the bolts being accessible only from within the hollow of the base. In guideways 80 within the guide plates are slidably mounted rectangular blocks 82 into each of which the threaded end of a clamp bolt 84 enters. The bolts 84 pass through openings in the frame and their heads engage the inner wall of the frame, as shown in Fig. 4. When the bolts are loosened. the frame may be adjusted vertically by the jack screw I4, as already described. The heads of the bolts 84 securing, the side guide plates in place also are accessible only within the hollow of the frame and so do not mar the appearance of the external surfaces on the machine. The guide plates are also provided with ribs 88 disposed in guideways 88 in the main frame. When the bolts 84 are tightened, the frame is securely held in lace at the position to which it is raised by the jack screw. To maintain the proper tension on the motor driven belt I0 when the machine is raised or lowered, the motor I is bolted to an angular support slidable in vertical guideways I! at the side of the base 0 not covered by a side guide plate, and 0. lug on the support has threaded through it a second lack screw 84, the head of which is supported by a horizontal portion of the base.

The base is provided with front and rear floor engaging feet 88 and the guide plates I8 with side floor engaging feet 08 to distribute evenly the weight of the supported machine. These feet are formed with pinch bar recesses I00 for use in shifting the machine about the factory floor.

To provide means for easily assembling the machine and adjusting the driving belts for the main driving means, together with the treadle controlled power actuated selecting mechanism. the main driving means and the power actuated mechanism for the driving means is supported on a bracket I02, best shown in Fig. 3. and is separable as a unit from the main frame 4 and the sewing devices ca'rried thereby. The bracket I02 carries all of the bearings and pivots for the shafts, and fulcrum points for levers directly connected with the driving'means and power actuated selecting mechanism, and is so arranged that upon disengaging the belts and disconnecting the treadle connections, the bracket and its mechanism together may be removed from or assembled in the machine. The bracket may also be adjusted vertically along a vertical guideway I04 at the side of the frame not covered by the guide plates to impart the proper tension to the belts between the operating shaft and the driving means. The bracket is supported upon a vertical face of the guideway I04 by clamp bolts I06 arranged in slots in the bracket and threaded at their ends into the frame 4. To raise and lower the bracket, the uppermost-portion of the bracket I02 carries vertical adjusting bolts I08 threaded in the bracket with their lowermost ends engaging the sides of the uppermost clamp bolts I06 so that when the clamp bolts are loosened and the adjusting bolts are rotated the bracket in which the adjusting bolts are threaded will be raised toward or lowered from the operating devices driven by the belts 22 and N. r

With this construction, the frame and base are readily accessible from the open front and rear of the machine, the treadle 36 and horn mounting portion 35 of the frame projecting from the front and the main driving means from the rear. The

base and guide plates being readily formed of cast metal, the foundry molds and patterns have no complicated or expensive cores and the entire molding operation may be accomplished without the exercise of special skill or ability on the part of the foundry operator. The small amount of machining necessary to finish the separate castings is of a relativelysimple nature capable of being accomplished accurately with ordinary machine tools. The center of support for the movable machine frame at its sides also is so located that a better balance than heretofore is obtainable with the described construction, thus reducing the pressures on the sides of the guideway below those obtainable in previous height adjustable frames. In this way, height adjustment of the machine is rendered easier and a more rigid construction results.

The nature and object of the invention having been indicated, and an embodiment of the inventi on having been specifically described, what is claimed is:

l. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a main frame of generally rectangular horizontal section, operating devices in the 4 i frame, a base of generally rectangular horizontal section, means for raising and lowering the frame relatively to the base to adjust the height of the operating devices to the height of the opcrator, and substantially imperforate base covering guide plates having opposed surfaces between which the frame is mounted to slide vertically secured to opposite sides of the base while exposing for convenient access a side of the base on which no guide plates are secured.

2. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a main frame of generally rectangular horizontal section, operating devices in. the frame, a base of generally rectangular horizontal section, means for raising and lowering the frame relative to the base to adjust the height of the operating devices to the height of the operator, imperforate guide plates having opposed surfaces between which the frame is mounted to slide vertically, secured to opposite sides of the base and frame, and means within the frame accessible only between the guide plates from a side of the frame on which no plates are secured to clamp the frame in adjusted position between the guide plates.

3. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a main frame of generally rectangular horizontal section, operating devices in the frame, a main shaft for actuating said devices, a base of generally rectangular horizontal section, means for raising or lowering the frame relatively to the base to adjust the height of the operating devices to the height of the operator, guide plates having opposed surfaces between which the frame is mounted to slide vertically, main driving means, a substantially vertical belt between the main drive shaft and the driving means, a support for said driving means, and a vertical guideway at a side of the base not covered by a guide plate for said support within which the position of the support may be adjusted to maintain the belt under proper tension.

4. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a main frame, operating devices in the frame, main driving means for the operating devices having a plurality of different speed driving mechanisms, a clutch for each driving mechanism, and a bracket for said main driving means removably mounted in said frame and arranged when removed from the frame to hold the driving mechanisms and clutches in operative relationship separate from the operating devices.

5. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a main frame, operating devices in the frame, main driving means for the operating devices having a plurality of different speed driving mechanisms, a clutch for each driving mechanism and a power actuated mechanism for selectively rendering any of said clutches effective to drive the operating devices and a bracket for the main driving means removably mounted in said frame and arranged when removed to hold the driving mechanism, the clutches and power actuated mechanism, in operative relationship separate from the operating devices.

6. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a main frame, operatingdevices in the frame, a pulley for driving the operating devices, main driving means for the operating devices including a plurality of different speed driving mechanisms, and pulleys and clutches for the driving mechanisms, a driving belt between the pulleys for the operating devices and the driving means, and a bracket on which the main driving means is mounted arranged on the frame to be adjusted towards and from the operating devices to maintain the belt under proper tension.

7. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a main frame, a base, operating devices in the frame, a pulley for driving the operating devices, main driving means for the operating devices including a plurality of different speed driving mechanisms and pulleys and clutches for the driving mechanisms, a driving motor, a motor driven belt engaging one of the pulleys on the driving means, another belt-between the pulleys for the operating devices and the driving means, a support for the motor movable on the base to maintain the motor driven b'elt under proper tension, and a bracket on which themain driving means is mounted arranged on the frame to be adjusted towards and from the operating devices to maintain said last-mentioned belt under proper tension.

8. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a main frame provided with a portion of generally rectangular horizontal section, operating devices in the frame, a base of generally rectangular horizontal section below the frame, and imperforate plates secured to and arranged to cover opposite sides of the base and frame for supporting the frame in suitably spaced relation to the base'while exposing the front and rear surfaces of the base and rectangular portion of the frame between the side plates for convenient access.

9. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a main frame provided with a portion of generally rectangular horizontal section, operating devices in the frame, a base of generally rectangular horizontal section below the frame, plates secured to the base, between opposite sides of which plates the frame slides, for supporting the frame in suitably spaced relation to the base, driving means in the frame for the operating devices, a treadle in the base projecting forwardly from the front surface of the base between the side plates, and connections from the treadle to the drivirig means between the side plates.

10. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a main frame provided with a portion of generally rectangular horizontal section, operating devices in the frame, a base of generally rectangular horizontal section having front and rear floor engaging feet below the frame, and plates in the form of open shells formed with side floor engaging feet and secured to opposite sides of the base and frame with openings facing each other for supporting the frame in suitably spaced relation to the base.

11. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a main frame provided with a portion of generally rectangular horizontal section, operating devices in the frame, a main operating shaft for said devices in the frame, a base of generally rectangular horizontal section below the frame, plates secured to the base, between opposite sides of which plates the frame slides, for supporting the frame in suitably spaced relation to the base, means mounted on the base for driving the operating shaft including a pulley, a

pulley connected to the operating shaft, a belt between said pulleys, and a guideway on the base along which the driving means may be shifted to increase or decrease the tension on the belt.

12. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a main frame provided with a portion of generally rectangular horizontal section, operating devices in the frame, a base of generally rectangular horizontal section below the frame, a rotatable shoe supporting horn on the main frame, plates secured to the base, between opposite sides of which plates the frame slides, for supporting the frame in suitably spaced relation to the base with the portion ofthe frame on which the horn is mounted projecting from between the plates, driving. means in the frame for the operating devices, a treadle in the base projecting forwardly from the front surface of the base between the side plates, and connections from the treadle to the driving means between the side plates.

13. A machine of the class described having, in combination, a main frame provided with a hollow portion of generally rectangular horizontal section, operating devices in the frame, a hollow base of generally rectangular horizontal section below the frame, substantially imperforate plates at opposite sides of the base and frame, and bolts for securing the plates to the base and for clamping the plates to the frame with their heads accessible only from within the hollows of the base and frame. 

